Fastener



Nov. 4, 1952 q R. D,B I I ARD' 2,616,377

' FASTENER Filed Aug. 1, 1947 Inventor BOB/NEON D EuLLARD Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Q 7 12,616,377 FASTENER Robinson D. Bullard, Westport, Conn. Application August 1, 1947, Serial N0. 765,408

Claims.

This invention relates to fasteners, and particularly' to a new and improved nail for attaching overlapping material to a support. Specifically, the invention relates to a nail for attaching asphalt or asbestos shingles or the like to buildings, and to a method of attaching such shingles.

' Heretofore, asphalt shingles and the like have been attached to buildings in rows in the usual overlapping manner of attaching wood shingles. This entails providing nails in the shingles along the central longitudinal axis of each 'row, which nails are covered'by the butt ends of the shingles in the next higher row. The rigidity of wooden shingles prevents the lower exposed portions in each row from curling or being raised by the action of wind, or temperature variations. As a result of the pliable nature of the asphalt shingles, however, wind and temperature variations cause their exposed portions to raise or curl which is a serious objection to their use.

Many attempts have been made to overcome this difficulty with little success. Adhesives have been applied to these exposed portions but such substances are expensive; and are in general impractical to apply. Special shingle nails have been provided but they generally require special hammering devices, or are so constructed that special machinery and operations are. required in their fabrication, with an attending excessive cost of manufacture.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a structure which will overcome the disadvantages in present known methods of attaching asphalt shingles or the like to building structures.

Other objects include the provision of a fastening device that provides as an integral portion thereofimeans capable of becoming attached to an overlapping material which it is desired to fasten; the provision of a shingle nail or the like having protuberances extending upwardly of the head and capable of withstanding blows sufficient to drive the nail into a supporting structure without substantial deformation of the protuberances; the provision of such a nail in which the protuberances are formed in a manner so that they tend to peen over when struck by a hammer, thereby forming clinching elements adapted to become embedded in or even to pass through an asphalt shingle or the like; the provision of such a nail in which the protuberances are formed in a manner such that the nail can be fabricated on conventional nail-making machinery; and the provision of such a nail which can be employed with as great facility as the commonly used shingle nails.

' The above as well as other objects and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view, greatlyenlarged, of a nail to which the principles of the invention have been applied;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional elevationalview of a portion or roofing showing the nail embedded in an asphalt shingle.

Referring to the drawing, the principles of the invention are shown as applied to a shingle nail including a shank portion 10 of usual construction having a pointed free end. A head I I is integral with the shank l0 and, as is usual with such nails, is of an area several times than of the cross-section of the shank so that the head will not penetrate the shingle it is adapted to hold'i'n' place.

The head H of the new nail is provided with means capableo'f being attached to an overlying shingle, and in the present embodiment such means is in the form of protuberances l2 extending upwardly therefrom and in such number that adequate gripping means is provided when they are embedded in and/or have passed through an asphaltshingle or the like. .Theonly limitation to the cross-sectional construction. and number of the protuberances is that they mustbe able to withstand, without substantial deforma tion, hammer blows sufficient to drive the nail home into the support to which the shingle is to be attached. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a sufiicient total cross-sectional. area of protuberances l2 so that they collectively have a resistance to substantial deformation while the nail is being driven home. J

It has been found desirable to provide the protuberances l2 in the form of clinching means or elements capable of becoming embeddedf in and/ or passing entirely through an asphalt shin gle or the like. In the present embodiment the upper extremities of the protuberances are preferably, but not necessarily, recessed and, this recess is in the form of a V-groove [3. In the process of attaching a shingle Hi to a supporting structure (Figure 3); the upper portions M of the protuberances l2 become peened over by the hammer blows necessary to drive the nail home," thereby forming clinching means on the head of the nail. Upon attaching a next higher shinthe nail of Figure gle, its butt end l5 overlies the head H of the nail. Upon applying a relatively light force or blow directly over or in the vicinity of said nail head, each peened-over protuberance l2 thereof embeds itself/into said butt end I5. Due to the relative plasticity of the shingle material; its fibers separate, permitting easy entry of each protuberance l2, and subsequent closing of the fibers around the lower shank portion and beneath the pe'ened upper portion thereof, thereby providing a positive clinching action between each protuberance I2 and the shingle.

In the present embodiment, the height 1; is shown to be less than the thickness of the average shingle, and is in the neighborhood of about one-sixteenth of an inch, while the depth of the V-groove I3 is in the neighborhood of about one thirty-second of an inch. Accordingly, the protuberances I2 of the present embodiment become embedded in the shingle material but do not penetrate it. However, it is within the scope of this invention to make the protuberance height great enough actually to penetrate the shingle, and in some instances this is done. Additionally, the interior angles a,- between the sides I of the protuberances 2 and the top of the nail head is shown to be substantially about 90?. This angle preferably would be no greater than 9Q so that the entire nail head can be formed with as great facility as is possible.

Although the various features of the improved nail have been shown and described in detail to fully disclose one embodiment of the invention, it will be evident that numerous changes can bemadein such details and certain features can beused without others without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1 A fastening device for asphalt shingles and the like comprising a, shingle nail of the usual proportions wherein the head area is several times that of the shank cross-section; and proturberant means, on the head of said nail of suchheight and cross-section. that upon driving said nail home into. a supporting structure, the top of said protuberant means is deformed into a portion of greater dimension than that of the remainder, whereby. said protuberant means is adapted to become attached to an overlying asphalt shingle on. the like upon. the application of force to said overlying shingle at the location. of said nail.

2. A fastening devicefor. asphaltv shingles and the. like comprisingv av shingle nail of. the. usual proportions wherein they head area is several times, that of the shank cross-section; and a plurality of. protuberances. on the head. ofv said nail. each 'of said protuberance being of such height and cross-section that upon, driving, said nail home into a supporting structure, the tops of said protuberances aredeformed into portions of greater dimension thanthe remainder thereof, w ere ai rotube ce re da e to come embedded in an overlying, asphalt shingle or the like upon the application of. force to said overlying. shinglein the vicinity of said nail.

4 3. A fastening device for asphalt shingles and the like comprising a shingle nail of the usual proportions wherein the head area is several times that of the shank cross-section; and a plurality of protuberances on the head of said nail, all of which have a height and cross-section construction adapted to deform when said nail is or driven home into a supporting structure such that the top portions of said protuberances form clinching means with the'remainder thereof, said deformed protuberances being adapted to become embedded in an overlying shingle upon the application of force to said shingle in the vicinity of said nail.

4. A fastening device for asphalt shingles and the like comprising a shingle nail of the usual proportions wherein the head area is several times that of the shank cross-section; and protuberant means on the head of said nail having a recess therein, thereby forming a portion of the cross-section thereof of less resistance to hammer blowsthan the remainder, and beingof such height that upon driving said' nail home into a supporting structure, the portion of said, pro-H tuberant means of lessened resistance to ham: mer blows is enlarged beyond that of the, re: mainder of said protuberant means.

5. A fastening device for asphalt shingles and the like comprising a nail having a shank and. a head adapted to hold one. portion of a shingle to a support; and protuberant means on said head capable of withstanding hammer blows suf-i ficient'to drive said nail home, and being of, such height and cross-section that the top portions of said protuberant means deform during the,appli-. cation ofsaid hammer, blows. to provide clinching means adapted to be embedded into. an overlapping shingle upon the application of force thereto in the vicinity 'of said device Without perforating said overlapping shingle for'. resisting any tendency of said overlappingshingle to separatefrom said first-mentioned shingle in the vicinity ofsaid nail. A l ROBINSON D. BULLARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

